Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."
Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
The Annual AF Symposium: Why I Attend & Why it’s Important to Patients
by Steve S. Ryan, PhD, Last updated: February 20, 2022
The past two decades have witnessed dramatic advances in all areas of A-Fib research with major progress in our understanding of atrial fibrillation and the development of safer and more effective strategies for the treating and curing of atrial fibrillation.
The annual International AF Symposium (formerly called the Boston AF Symposium) is one of the most important conferences on A-Fib in the world. The Symposium is a major scientific forum at which health care professionals have a unique opportunity to learn about advances in research and therapeutics directly from many of the most eminent investigators in the field.
This intensive and highly focused three-day symposium brings together the world’s leading medical scientists to share the most recent advances in the field of atrial fibrillation.
Prof. Michel Häissaguerre (who invented the PV ablation) and Steve Ryan at 2019 AF Symposium.
Why I Attend the Symposium Every Year
Each year I attend the Symposium to learn and ‘absorb’ the presentations and research findings.
Attending the annual AF Symposium gives me a thorough and practical view of the current state of the art in the field of A-Fib. I then apply this newly acquired knowledge and understanding to the publishing of A-Fib.com.
Writing My Reports
On the plane ride home I start writing summaries of significant presentations and important research findings that are relevant to A-Fib patients and their families.
I strive to ‘translate’ as much of the medical jargon into everyday language. (My wife, Patti, keeps an eye out for this). I add my own comments and insights to help interpret the information for A-Fib.com readers.
In the months following the Symposium, I write and post three or four reports each month usually ending up with about 12–20 articles. (Why does it take so long? I send each of my summaries to the presenter inviting their feedback, so it takes some time to get each article written, reviewed, and posted.)
I announce each posting on my A-Fib News Blog with a link to each article.
For the Readers of A-Fib.com
My goal is to offer the most up-to-date A-Fib research findings and developments that may impact the treatment choices of patients seeking their A-Fib cure or best outcome.
Caution: If you haven’t read and understood most of the articles on A-Fib.com, it may be difficult reading. (Hint: our Glossary of Terms may be helpful.)
OUR MISSION: At A-Fib.com, we offer hope & guidance to empower patients to find their A-Fib cure or best outcome. A-Fib.com is the patient’s unbiased source of well-researched information on current & emerging Atrial Fibrillation treatments.
Go to my AF Symposium Archives by Year
If you find any errors on this page, email us. Y Last updated: Sunday, February 20, 2022
Be Suspicious of A-Fib Info on the Internet―Here’s Why
by Steve S. Ryan
When I attend talks at most A-Fib conferences, the first slide a presenter shows is often a list of their Conflicts of Interest. It’s required of all speakers.
But this is not required of websites! Health/Heart-related websites are not required to be transparent and reveal their conflicts of interest.
Drug Industry Owns or Influences Most Heart/Health Web sites
The drug and device industry owns, operates or influences almost every health/heart-related web site on the Internet!
For example, did you know that the drug company Ely Lilly partially owns and operates WebMD, the Heart.org, Medscape.com, eMedicine.com and many other health web sites?
The fact is that most health/heart-related web sites are supported by drug companies who donate most of their funding. Consider how that may affect the information they put on their web sites―they’re not going to bite the hand that feeds them.
VIDEO: Video: Buyer Beware of Misleading A-Fib Information on the Web and in the Media
Beware of misleading and incorrect A-Fib information published by reputable sources on the internet and in print media. Steve S. Ryan, PhD, gives three specific examples of why you need to be on the lookout for inaccurate statements about Atrial Fibrillation. 3:59 min. Go to video.
Be Suspicious of A-Fib Info on the Internet
In our crazy world, you can’t afford to trust anything you read on the Internet.
At one time I tried to keep track of all the mis-information found on various A-Fib web sites. When we’d find something wrong, we would write the site. I don’t think we’ve ever received a reply. Finally, we gave up.
(See my video: Buyer Beware of Misleading or Inaccurate A-Fib Information.)
In today’s world, you have to do your own due diligence.
Many web sites put out biased or mis-information often for financial gains, but sometimes it’s just out-of-date. Be skeptical.
You can tell if someone is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Truth will out. If you feel uncomfortable or that something is wrong with a site, it probably is. When you find a good site, the truth will jump out at you.
Whenever you visit a heart health-related website, ask yourself: “Who owns this site?” and “What is their agenda?” (Hint: Check their list of “sponsors” and follow the money!)
How Does A-Fib.com Measure Up?
A-Fib Inc. has earned GuideStar’s highest rating, the GuideStar Exchange Platinum Seal, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability in the non-profit world.
Transparency means that anyone can find out what we have been doing, what we have achieved, and how we are doing in achieving our ultimate goals. You can check the A-Fib.com public listing at GuideStar.org.
A-Fib.com has also earned the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) Certification for quality and trustworthiness of medical and health online information.
For more, you can also read the A-Fib.com Disclosures page.
Hint: Check their list of “sponsors” and follow the money!
A-Fib.com is Your Independent Source of Unbiased Information
Who can you trust? Did you know…the drug and medical device industries operate or influence almost every health/heart related web site on the Internet?
For example, the drug company Eli Lilly is a “partner” with WebMD (WebMD Health Corp.) which includes the websites, Medscape.com, MedicineNet, eMedicine.com, eMedicineHealth, RxList, theHeart.org, and Drugs.com.
Consider for a moment how that may affect the information you read on their websites. Can you trust these sites to be impartial?
Beholden to No One Except Our Readers
Reader Paul O.
Former A-Fib patient, Paul V. O’Connell of Baltimore, MD, wrote about A-Fib.com publisher, Steve Ryan:
“Steve’s probably the world’s best informed patient advocate when it comes to understanding atrial fibrillation and its treatment.
Most important, Steve is not owned by the AMA or Big Pharma—so he is not beholden to anyone except his readers.”
Health On the Net and GuideStar Certified
A-Fib.com has earned and maintained the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) Certification for quality and trustworthiness of medical and health online information. The Health On the Net Foundation (HON) Code of Conduct helps protect citizens from misleading health information. 
A-Fib Inc. has earned GuideStar’s highest rating, the GuideStar Exchange Platinum Seal, a leading symbol of transparency and accountability in the non-profit world.
A-Fib.com is Independent and Unbiased with No Affiliations
From our start in 2002, Steve has maintained an independent and unbiased viewpoint. To assure our integrity, A-Fib.com is deliberately not affiliated with any medical school, device manufacturer, pharmaceutical company, HMO, or medical practice.
At A-Fib.com, Steve accepts no third-party advertising, does not charge for inclusion in our Directory of Doctors & Facilities and accepts no fee (cash or other kind) for a listing in Steve’s Lists of Doctors by Specialty. Not many healthcare websites or patient education sites can make these same claims.
A-Fib.com is your independent source of unbiased information
about Atrial Fibrillation and its resources and treatments.
Join our Mission. Support A-Fib.com.
Every donation helps. Even $1.00.
At A-Fib.com, What Do We Stand For?
To maintain our independence, integrity and our unbiased viewpoint, A-Fib.com is deliberately not affiliated with any medical school, device manufacturer, pharmaceutical company, HMO, or medical practice.
We accept no third-party advertising, do not charge for inclusion in our Directory of Doctors & Facilities and accept no fee (cash or other kind) for a listing in Steve’s Lists of Doctors by Specialty.
Not many healthcare websites or patient education sites can make these claims.
The A-Fib.com Mission
If you visit our “About Us” page, you can read about how Steve Ryan started A-Fib.com after researching and finding his own cure.
Among other things, you will also find the A-Fib.com mission statement. It summarizes what we do and why.
Our Mission: A-Fib.com offers hope and guidance to empower patients to find their A-Fib cure or best outcome. A-Fib.com is the patient’s unbiased source of well-researched information on current and emerging Atrial Fibrillation treatments.
Join Us! Support the A-Fib.com Mission
If you would like to support our mission, you can refer others to our website, you can bookmark and use the A-Fib.com Amazon.com portal link to shop online. Or make a donation through PayPal towards our monthly publishing expenses.
A-Fib.com is your independent source of unbiased information
about Atrial Fibrillation and its resources and treatments.
Join our Mission. Support A-Fib.com.
Help Keep A-Fib.com Independent and Ad-Free
Each purchase you make generates a small commission for us (at no extra cost to you.) We apply it towards the monthly costs of publishing A-Fib.com.
Our goal is to make A-Fib.com a self-sustaining site and maintain our ‘no third-party advertising’. No distracting Google or product ads that interrupt your reading.
Your support is needed and much appreciated. Bookmark this link (http://tinyurl.com/Shop-Amazon-for-A-Fib). Use it every time you shop Amazon.com.
After using the A-Fib.com portal link to shop Amazon.com, Mary Jo Hamlin, Liverpool, NY writes:
“I’m happy to donate [to A-Fib.com]. Steve has always been very helpful answering my questions. You guys do a great job for a good cause! God bless.”
Personal Update: Surviving the Woolsey/Malibu Fire
For our earlier posts and fire photos, see On a Personal Note: Malibu Fires and Mandatory Evacuation and Personal Update on the Malibu Fires.
Wow! The last 30 days have been an experience I hope you never have to live through.
The left sign post was burned, but not the right.
We evacuated our Malibu, CA, home on November 9th due to the Woolsey brush fire that was burning its way toward us and the Pacific Ocean. We were in a motel for 11 days. Then we got word our home was okay. When road blocks were lifted, we returned home but without electricity, no heat, spoiled food in the frig/freezers, no phone landline and no internet access (FIOS). But we had water and our cell phones worked.
Fire damage: The fire did come down the land on either side of our home, singed the trunks of our palm trees near the street, but only burned a few isolated spots (see our Island sign). Our structures were spared but the soot and ash were throughout the house, even the closets (despite closed windows).
Making do without and filing claims: First came treks to the library to charge our devices and get on the internet. Cold drinks were out of a styrofoam cooler, hot food from a drive-thru. We burned a lot of candles at night. Next, came insurance, FEMA, SBA disaster claims paperwork. After about two weeks without power we bought a gas powered generator. Over several days (and lots of industrial extension cords) I got power for our devices, hot water heater (and satellite TV) then furnace and laundry. But it required daily trips for gasoline (Patti could now use her CPAP at night).
The green brush and tree mark our property line; The rains caused the hill side erosion next to us.
Then the mud slides. Then came the dreaded rains. We had been advised where to place the free sand bags from the fire station to protect our property and propane tank. We had little mud but you can see the erosion next door where the fire burned the brush that had been securing the soil.
Thank God for Friday: This weekend was a big one for us. Friday, after 28 days with no power, the electric company discovered and replaced a fried transformer next door and restored our electricity!
About 12 cleaners descended on our home and started three days of cleaning. Our insurance paid for us to move out while Service Master cleaned our entire house (inside and out), frig and freezers, closets, rugs, etc. to get rid of the soot and odors (and will pay to wash or dry clean the clothes in our closets). On Saturday, surprise! our phone service and internet access were restored.
Home sweet home after 30 days: When you read this, we will be back in our freshly cleaned home. We still have a bunch of work to do, but we now have everything we need in one place.
Thoughts and prayers: We thank God our home was spared and the disaster center services and our insurance claim agent were there to help. Blessed be all the firefighters, first responders, evacuation center volunteers and all the utility company workers.
Please keep all those who lost their homes in your thoughts and prayers. No matter your income level or the size of your home, the loss is still devastating.
Heart-Filled Thanks to our A-Fib.com Advisory Board of Electrophysiologists and Surgeons
To publish A-Fib.com I seek advise and opinions from many expert cardiac electrophysiologists and surgeons many of whom are members of our A-Fib.com Advisory Board. We invite readers to browse the names of members and their affiliations.
Since the start of A-Fib.com in 2002, many cardiac electrophysiologists (EP) and surgeons have given me invaluable advice and support. They have helped make our website the ‘go-to’ destination for over 350,000 visitors a year. (In fact, we’ve been recognized by Healthline.com as a top A-Fib blog since 2014).
It’s a great blessing to be able to tap into the knowledge and experience of these talented professionals when writing on a difficult A-Fib subject or to get help for an A-Fib.com reader with a difficult case.
From all regions of the U.S., and from France, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and Australia, these doctors may not always agree with all my positions, but they try to point me in the right direction.
Sharing the names and affiliations of The A-Fib.com Advisory Board with you is one way to publicly thank the board members and acknowledge their continued support.
I encourage you to go to The A-Fib.com Advisory Board page and review the list of members. (You can also find the link at “About Us“.)
Many Thanks to Our Patrons and A-Fib Readers
We wish to thank all those A-Fib.com readers who support our mission and this website financially.
As you might know, since its founding in 2002, A-Fib.com has been funded personally by Patti and Steve Ryan who research and write its content. (See About Us to learn more.)
Donate with PayPal: All donations made by using our orange PayPal “Donate” button (see right column) and through our Facebook page are applied toward the out-of-pocket costs to publish A-Fib.com and keep it on the web (without relying on third-party ad revenues).
Amazon portal link: We also receive a small commission on sales by readers who use our portal link to shop at Amazon.com.
These revenue sources help us continue our ongoing A-Fib.com Mission to empower A-Fib patients as their unbiased source of well-researched information and advice on current and emerging A-Fib treatments.
One-Time Donation or Make it a Monthly or Annual Affair
Any donation to A-Fib.com is appreciated and needed. Even a $1 donation helps. Just click our orange PayPal button. (You can also send us a personal check.)
We’re especially grateful for recurring donations. We have received annual donations, and for several months now a generous patron donates to A-Fib.com every month. It’s easy to set up.
This is the screen you get when you click on our PayPal DONATE button.
When you click on our orange “Donate” button you’ll go to the PayPal page “Donate to A-Fib, Inc”.
Instead of a one-time donation, if you click the small box, you can authorize a reoccurring monthly donation which is automatic. (You can change or cancel a recurring donation anytime in your PayPal account settings.)
Financial Transparency: You can review our financials and other A-Fib, Inc. records by going to the A-Fib, Inc profile on GuideStar. (GuideStar is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations; It encourages nonprofit transparency and allows nonprofits to supplement the public information that is available from the IRS.)
A-Fib.com supporters
Many Ways to Contribute to A-Fib.com
There are many ways you can contribute to A-Fib.com. You can join our support volunteers who offer others hope and encouragement. You can share your A-Fib story to inspire others.
Or, write an article about a topic you’re passionate about. (We welcome other ideas too.) Learn more at Participate at A-Fib.com.
On a Personal Note: Malibu Fires and Mandatory Evacuation
Malibu flames; photo: AFP/Getty Images
Due to the spreading brush fires heading toward the Pacific shoreline, Patti and I evacuated our home Friday noon under mandatory order for all in the City of Malibu, CA.
Fanned by the roaring “Santa Ana winds”, we had been smelling the fires since early morning when we got an automated call to prepare to evacuate. We lost power mid-morning. The air was filled with soot and ashes and covered our patio and steps. We wore filter masks.
Time to Go: Billowing grey clouds rolled out over the ocean. Fires lit up the crests of the hills off Pacific Coast Hwy (CA#1). What sounded like rain drops on the car roof were actually airborne ash bits.
Malibu smoke clouds; photo David-McNew-Getty-Images
We were heading south to the evacuation center at the Pacific Palisades high school. We didn’t make it.
About 2 miles from our home (before we got to Zuma Beach and the Pt. Dune area) we encountered smoke across the road and with flames on both sides. So we turned around and headed north instead. Since Friday noon, we’ve been tucked away safely at a motel in Oxnard about 30 miles north/west of Malibu.
Surfing for News: Every few hours we check TV news coverage, online video footage, official city/county emergency websites and social media posts for any news about the area around our home. As best we can tell, the fires reported at Pt. Dune and Trancas Canyon are the closest at about 4 miles south/east.
Based on TV news aerial footage from Sunday morning, we are optimistic the fires have not reached our home and it will still be there when we are allowed back in.
Blessings upon our firefighters
Our Thanks to First Responders: Blessings to the firefighters and police all working to protect our homes, as well as those staffing the evacuation centers ranging from Thousand Oaks to Santa Monica. (Including special centers sheltering animals including horses, llamas, dogs, etc.).
Please pray (and send out positive thoughts) for those who have lost everything. No matter your income level, it’s still devastating.
We’re still writing and posting to A-Fib.com from our motel room. We’ll update when we have news about returning to our home, God willing.
Back-to-School? Shop Amazon.com & Support A-Fib.com Too!
Are you shopping for kids or grand-kids heading back to school? Did you know your purchases can help support A-Fib.com?
Just shop online at Amazon.com using the A-Fib.com Amazon portal link (this link automatically credits us, you don’t have to do anything else).
Help Keep A-Fib.com Independent and Ad-Free
Your purchases generate a small commission for A-Fib.com—at no extra cost to you. We apply those proceeds toward the monthly costs of publishing this website.
Many sites are funded through third-party advertising like Google ads. You’ll find none of those ads breaking up our articles or crowding our web pages.
Your Support is Needed and Appreciated
A-Fib.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our goal is to make A-Fib.com a financially self-sustaining site AND maintain our “no advertising” policy.
So help support A-Fib.com—use the A-Fib.com Amazon portal link every time you shop online. We appreciate your support.
